According to a report by NBC News on Monday, August 19, 2024, in Florida, a woman who claimed to be working under divine instruction has been indicted for her role in a deadly ambush that left one sheriff’s deputy dead and two others wounded.
On the evening of August 2, 2024, deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to what initially seemed like a routine disturbance call.
They were directed to a home near the city of Eustis after receiving reports of a woman attacking residents and making bizarre religious claims.
The woman, later identified as 48-year-old Julie Ann Sulpizio, allegedly assaulted her neighbors while accusing them of being sinners and invoking God’s name in her tirades.
“The complainant stated [Sulpizio] was acting religious, accusing them of being sinners, and she knows ‘what they did,’” said Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell during a press conference.
The residents, who were understandably frightened, identified Sulpizio as their neighbor. However, Sulpizio, in a bizarre twist, insisted she was not Julie but “Helen, under God’s will.”
The situation quickly escalated when deputies arrived at Sulpizio’s home to conduct a welfare check.
They found unsettling signs, a pair of dead dogs outside, an open window with the screen kicked out, and an eerie silence within the house. reported from Global News.
Sensing that something was wrong, the deputies called for backup. Among those who responded were Master Deputy Sheriff Bradley Michael Link, 28, and Master Deputy Sheriff Harold Howell, 41.
As Link and Howell entered the home, they were unaware that they were walking into a deadly trap.
Sheriff Grinnell recounted the horrific events that followed, describing how the deputies cautiously made their way through the house.
As Link led the way, his back turned to the hallway, he was suddenly ambushed by Sulpizio’s husband, Michael.
The attack was brutal and unrelenting. Link was shot in the back and, as he attempted to crawl away after running out of ammunition, was shot several more times.
The young deputy, just 28 years old, succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Howell and Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano, 28, who was also injured in the attack, managed to return fire and escape, but the damage had been done.
The events leading up to the ambush were as disturbing as the attack itself. According to Sheriff Grinnell, Sulpizio had concocted a twisted plan to lure her neighbors to her home, where her husband would kill them.
She believed that she was carrying out God’s will, a delusion that would eventually lead to the tragic loss of life.
In an interview with investigators, Sulpizio revealed the depth of her delusion. She claimed that “Julie is in heaven” and referred to herself as “Helen.”
She spoke of a need to “trick Lucy,” a name she used to refer to Lucifer, and identified the deputies as “one of them,” implying that they were agents of evil.
As deputies attempted to arrest Sulpizio, they discovered her home was a veritable fortress.
Inside, they found a stockpile of guns, ammunition, bottled water, and anti-government propaganda, but no phones or televisions.
The lack of modern communication devices hinted at the couple’s deep-seated paranoia and detachment from reality.
Even more unsettling were the couple’s two daughters, Savannah and Cheyenne, who were also inside the home.
As the situation escalated, one of the daughters was heard shouting, “My King will kill all of you! You are Lucifer’s children!”
This disturbing outburst was captured on Link’s body camera. The tragic climax of the evening came when Michael, Sulpizio’s husband and their two daughters were found dead from gunshot wounds to the head.
Body camera footage revealed that the family had discussed suicide before carrying out their final act of violence.
Julie Ann Sulpizio was arrested on August 5, 2024, at a hospital in Tavares, Florida, where she had been receiving treatment since the day of the crime.
On Monday, August 19, she was indicted on multiple charges, including three counts of attempted first-degree premeditated murder of a law enforcement officer, conspiracy to commit premeditated murder, battery on a law enforcement officer, and three counts of battery on others.
The indictment was handed down by a grand jury convened by State Attorney Bill Gladson’s office of the Fifth Judicial Circuit.
Gladson has indicated that the case could qualify for the death penalty, though a final decision has not yet been made.
His office has 45 days to review the evidence and determine whether to seek the ultimate punishment.
